Printing press



May 9, 1939. l H. G. ROGERS 2,157,803

PRINTING PRESS Filed sept. 23, 193e 3 sheets-sheet 2 May 99 1939. H. G. ROGERS u 2,157,803

PRINTING PRESS Filed Sept. 23, 1956 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Patented May 9, 1939 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 2,151,803 PRINTING PRESS Harry George Rogers, Wellington, New Zealand Application .September 23, 1936, Serial No. 102,204 In New Zealand September 28, 1935 11 Claims.

\ vention being to provide an improved printing press of the beforementioned type.

A printing press according to the invention, comprises a printing bed held against travel, a carriage carrying a, rotary impression cylinder and inking mechanism, for type or the like on said bed, adapted to be reciprocated across the latter, means for reciprocating said carriage, means for feeding paper to be printed, to the lrotary impression cylinder, means for securing said paper on the latter, and means for delivering printed paper therefrom.

The means for reciprocating the carriage across the printing bed comprise pairs of telescopic tubes to which fluid under pressure is applied, the moving members of said pairs of tubes being attached to the carriage, and travelling together, but in reverse directions in relation to the non-travelling tubes in conjunction with which they operate, means also being provided for reversing the direction of travel of the carriage upon it completing movement in either direction.

The printing bed. is in separate upper and lower portions, the meeting surfaces of which are formed so that movement of said upper portion in the direction ofthe length of the maf chine raises or lowers the bed, means being provided for imparting the necessary movement to said upper portion.

The improved press forming the subject matter of the invention is illustrated in detail in the accompanying drawings and will be fully described in conjunction therewith.

Figure 1 is a front elevation, and l Figure 2 a rear elevation of the improved press,

Figure 3 being a cross sectional View of same on the line A-A Figure 1,

Figure 4 a longitudinal sectional view between the front and the intermediate frames of the press,

Figure 5 a plan view of the press with the clutch gear removed,

Figure 6 a part elevation, and

Figure 7 a part cross sectional view of the carriage, showing portion of the impression cylinder, and also illustrating the tting of wedges for raising and lowering the carriage on its guides on the frames,

Figure 3 an end elevation of the rotary impression cylinder, showing the flat formed on one ofthe bearer wheels thereof,

Figure 9 an elevation of the clutch gear for locking the gear wheel on the impression cylin- (Cl. lol- 272) der shaft, to the latter to cause the cylinder to rotate and perform a printing operation,

Figure l a sectional view (broken), of one of the pairs of telescopic tubes, by means of which reciprocatory motion is imparted to the "l carriage carrying the impression cylinder,

Figure 11 a longitudinal sectional elevation of the valve used for controlling the passage of oil, to and from the telescopic tubes, which reciprocate the carriage,

Figure 12 a part sectional View of one of the ink rolls, showing the swash plate on the spindle thereof for imparting reciprocatory motion to the roll,

Figure 13 a part plan View illustrating the arrangement of the telescopic tubes which reciprocate the carriage with the impression cylinder thereon.

As illustrated in the drawings, the improved press comprises a front frame I, a rear frame 2, and an intermediate frame 3, secured together by stays Il, and along guides 6 on the tops of which, a carriage 'l carrying a rotary impression cylinder 8, and inking mechanism S, is adapted to be reciprocated, the sides of the carriage l be-v ing returned under the guides 6 of the front and rear frames I, 2, as at "la, Figure 3; so as to retain the carriage I thereon. Wedges (Fig-v u res 1, 2, 6 and '7) are inserted between the returned portions la of the carriage l, and the guides 6, and are held in set positions, by having their heads passed upon studs 5a, secured in the carriage ends, and by lock nuts on said studs 5a. The wedges 5 serve to take up wear of the guides and carriage and provide means for enabling the freedom of movement of the carriage along the guides to be adjusted as desired.

The printing bed I0 (Figures 3, 4 and 5), is supported between the front and the intermediate frames I and 3, and comprises upper and lower portions II and I2 respectively (Figures l, 3 and 4), having interengaging inclined stepped ribs IIaf and I2a, the lower bed portion I2 being a fixture between the frames I and 3, while the upper bed portion II, is movable in the direction of the Vlength of the machine on the lower bed portion I2, and by virtue of the inclined meeting surfaces on the stepped ribs I la, I2a, raises or lowers the bed Ill, in relation to the rotary impression cylinder 8, according to the direction in which said upper bed portion II is moved.

Means for imparting movement as mentioned, to the upper bed portion II, to raise or lower the printing bed I, comprise a hand wheel I3 I6 meshing with said Worm I5, and a screw I'I`v (Figures 3 and 4) on which said worm wheel I6 is keyed, engaging in a nut I8 held against travel, between lugs I9 on the underside of said upper bed portion II.

By turning the hand wheel I3 in the requisite direction the upper bed portion II can be raised or lowered within limits, to bring the bed I8 on which the printing type or the like is placed, into the desired relationship with the periphery of the rotary impression cylinder 8.

The shaft 20 which carries the rotary impression cylinder 8, is supported by bearings 2| on the carriage 1, said cylinder 6 being provided at its ends with bearer wheels 22, which run on tracks 23 on the upper edges of the front and intermediate frames I, 3 (Figures 3, 5, 6 and '7), said bearer wheels 22 each having a flat 22a (Figure 8) formed on its periphery.

A toothed rack 24 (Figures 3, 5, 9 and 13) supported from the intermediate frame 3, has in mesh therewith through an opening 24a in the floor of the carriage 1, a toothed wheel 25 loosely mounted on the shaft 28 of the rotary impression cylinder 8, a clutch 26 (Figures 3 and 9) being provided for locking said toothed wheel 25 to the shaft 28, for the purpose of causing the impression cylinder 8 to rotate and perform a printing operation.

The carriage 1 is reciprocated over the printing bed I8, by means which will be hereinafter described, and when at the paper feed end of the machine indicated at 21, (Figure l) the rotary impression cylinder 8 is in a position in which the flats 22a, on its bearer wheels 22, are

presented to the tracks 23 for the latter.

With paper fed to, and gripped on the rotary impression cylinder 8 by any approved means, such as are indicated at S and comprising any known means applicable to a rotary cylinder, the carriage 1, is caused to travel over the printing bed I0 towards the delivery end of the machine indicated at 28 (Figure 1), and during this movement, the toothed wheel 25 on the shaft 28 of the rotary impression cylinder 8, is locked to said shaft 20, by the clutch 26, with the result that the impression cylinder 8 is caused to rotate, and its` bearer wheels 22 to run along on the tracks 23, so that the paper is caused to wrap around the periphery of the cylinder 8 and be pressed upon or rolled over the printing bed I0 to receive an impression fromv the type or the like thereon.

Upon the arrival of the carriage 1 at the delivery end 28 of the machine, the ats 22a on the bearer wheels 22 of the rotary impression cylinder 8, are again presented to the tracks 23, and the clutch 26 is thrown out to free the cylinder shaft 28 from the toothed wheel 25 thereon, whereupon the cylinder 8 ceases to rotate. At the same time the paper is gripped by any approved means, such as are indicated at 51, Figure l, at the delivery end 28 of the press, and the direction of travel of the carriage 1 is reversed, the printed sheet being taken from the rotary impression cylinder 8 and stacked at the delivery end 28, while said cylinder 8 is moved back to the feed end 21 of the machine by the carriage 1, without however being rotated, owing to the iats 22a of the bearer wheels 22 being presented to the tracks 23 and the wheel 25 being free on the shaft 20, to receive a fresh sheet of paper and to commence a further printing operation, upon the toothed wheel 25 again being locked to the shaft 29, and the carriage 1 being caused to travel in the requisite direction.

In order to cause the clutch 26 to be thrown in and out, to clutch the toothed wheel 25 to, and declutch same from the shaft 28, as required, the clutch lever 58 has extending downwards therefrom through a slot 59 in the ioor of the carriage 1, a projection 60 adapted to engage inclined faces SI, 62 on the rear frame 2, at the end of the travel of the carriage 1 in either direction, said projection 60 striking the inclined face 6I and throwing the clutch 26 out as the carriage 1 completes its movement towards the delivery end 28 of the press, and striking the inclined face 62 and throwing the clutch 26 in as the carriage 1 finishes its movement towards the feed end 21 of the press.

The mechanism 9 for applying ink to the type or the like on the printing bed I8, comprises large inking rolls 29 in contact with intermediate rollers 38 and lower rollers 32, all mounted between brackets 3i on the carriage 1, the large rolls 29 being geared together and driven by a gear wheel 30a in mesh with the toothed rack 24. The spindles of the largeinking rolls 29 are capable of end movement in their bearings and have swash plates 33 keyed thereon (Figure 12), said plates 33 turning through grooved pivoted posts 34, held adjacent the spindle bearings, so as to cause the rolls 29, to reciprocate crossways of the carriage 1, or through their length, while also rotating, with the result that ink supplied to said rolls 29, is spread evenly over the latter and the intermediate rollers 30, and transmitted to the lower rollers 32, which distribute it over the surface of the type or the like on the printing bed I8, during the backward and forward movements of the carriage thereover.

Ink is supplied to the inking rolls 29 by contact of the uppermost of the latter with a swinging roller 33a, (Figure 1), at the paper delivery end 28 of the machine, said swinging roller` 33a receiving ink per medium of other rollers 34a, from an ink well or reservoir 35.

The means for reciprocating the carriage 'I with the rotary impression cylinder 8 and the inking mechanism 9 thereon backwards and forwards across the printing bed IIJ, comprise pairs of telescopic tubes 36, 31 (Figures l to 5, l0 and 13), the inner tubes 31 being held against travel between the frames 2 and 3, while the outer tubes 36, which are attached to the carriage 1, slide or travel on the inner tubes 31, said pairs of telescopic tubes 36, 31, being reversed in relation to each other (Figure 13), or being arranged so that when one pair of tubes 36, 31, is being extended, the other pair of tubes 36, 31, is being collapsed or telescoped.

Oil is drawn from a tank or reservoir 38 and passed under pressure by a pump 39, via a control valve, into the inner tube 31 of only one of the pairs of telescopic tubes 36, 31 at a time, so as to cause the latter to expand or open out, and in doing so to move the carriage 1 in one direction across the printing bed I0, while at the same time oil contained in the other pair of utbes 36, 31, is by reason of the latter being caused to collapse or telescope, exhausted from said collapsing tubes.

A form of control valve suitable for controlling the passage of oil to and from the telescopic tubes 36, 31 is illustrated in Figure 11, said Valve comprising a cylindrical body 48, into which oil is passed by a pipe 4I from the pressure side of the pump 39, and from which oil is discharged via a pipe 42, to the tank or reservoir 38, while pipes 43 between said body 40 and the inner tubes 37 of the telescopic tubes 36, 3l provide for the passage of oil under pressure, to one or other of said tubes 3l.

Bushes 44 containing radial ports Mia, are fitted in the body El across the openings thereintc to the pipes el, 43, and a hollow piston valve l5 containing a recess 45a., in its periphery is slidably fitted in the bushes M.

The stem 46 of the valve dii is screwed into a ported extension il at one end of the valve, and emerges from the body il@ through a stuing box 48, said stem 46 having passing through a slot in, its end, a lever Sii pivoted at its lower end to the rear frame 2.

A rod slidable in guides 52 on the framev 2, has upturned ends 53 adapted to be engaged by the carriage 1, at the ends of its travel in either direction, said rod 5l also having extending inwards therefrom through a slot 5t in the frame 2, an arm 55 in the forked inner end of which the upper end of the lever 5E) is engaged.

With the valve G5 in the position shown in Figure l1, oil received from the pump 33 via the pipe 4I is unable to pass to any of the pipes d2, 43, but upon the valve 45 being moved to connect one of the pipes 43 with the pipe lll, by the carriage 1 striking one of the upturned ends 53 of the rod 5l and actuating the latter, oil passes through the pipe 63, so connected, to one of the pairs' of telescopic tubes 3%, 3l, with the result that the tubes of the pair receiving oil, open out or extend and move the carriage l in one direction across the printing bed 5E.

At the same time oil in the other pair of tubes 36, 3l which is collapsing or closing up, passes back to the body dil, and either through the hollow valve 45, o-r direct to the pipe 42, to be discharged into the tank or reservoir 38 for re-use.

At the end of its travel in each direction, the carriage strikes an upturned end 53 on the rod 5|, and by moving the latter, causes the valve 45 to slide in the body 40 so as to reverse the passage of oil to and from the pairs of tubes 36, 31 and thereby change the direction of travel of the carriage 1.

The outer tubes 36 of the telescopic tubes 36, 31, are tted with spring loaded relief valves 514 to permit the escape of excess pressure.

What I do claim and desire to obtain by Letters Patent of the United States of America is:-

1. In a printing press, a frame, a stationary printing bed, a carriage movable over said bed, an i--.pression cylinder mounted in said carriage, pairs of oppositely acting oppositely arranged telescopic tubes, one of the tubes of each pair being attached to said frame and the other tube being connected with said carriage whereby one pair of tubes during expansion moves the carriage always in one direction and the other pair of tubes during expansion moves the carriage a1- ways in the reverse direction, and means for alternately supplying uid under pressure to said pairs of tubes.

2. A printing press as claimed in claim 1 characterized in that the outer tube of each pair is secured to the carriage and the inner tube to said frame.

3. A printing press as claimed in claim 1 characterized by the provision of a valve for controlling passage of the fluid from said supply means to said pairs of tubes, and means controlled by said carriage for actuating said valve.

4. A printing press as claimed in claim l characterized by the provision of a valve for controlling the passage of fluid from said pressure supply means to the pairs of tubes, a member displaceable by said carriage at the end of the movement of the latter in either direction, and means connecting said displaceable member with said valve for actuating the latter.

5. A printing press as claimed in claim l characterized by the provision of a valve for controlling the passage of iluid between the said valve and the pairs of tubes, said valve including an inlet for receiving iluid from said pressure supply means, a pair of outlets adapted to be connected with the pair of telescopic tubes, an exhaust outlet, and a sliding member adapted to connect the fluid inlet with the outlet to one pair of telescopic tubes and at the same time to connect the outlet open to the other pair ci telescopic tubes oi the exhaust outlet.

G. In a printing press, a frame, a printing bed mounted in said frame, a carriage movable over said bed, a rotary impression cylinder mounted in said carriage, means for rotating said impression cylinder during movement of the carriage in one direction, and means for holding said 'impression cylinder against rotation during movement of the carriage in the opposite direction, a toothed rack fixed to said frame, an inking mechanism for said printing bed, said inking mechanism including rolls, intermeshing gear Wheels connecting said rolls, a driving gear meshing with one of said gear wheels and said rack, and means for supplying ink to the top roll.

'i'. In a printing press, a printing bed, a carriage movable over said printing bed, an impression cylinder mounted in said carriage, tracks supported by said frame, bearer wheels at the ends of the impression cylinder adapted to run on said tracks, said bearer wheels having flats on the peripheries thereof whereby said wheels may travel along said tracks without being rotated.

8. In a printing press, a frame, a printing bed mounted in said frame, a carriage movable over said bed, a shaft mounted in said carriage, a rotary impression cylinder keyed on said shaft, a toothed rack on said frame, a toothed Wheel loosely mounted on said shaft and meshing with said rack, a clutch for coupling said toothed wheel with said shaft, and means for operating said clutch during the movement of said carriage in one direction to cause rotation of said cylinder only during such movement.

9. In a printing press, a frame, a normally stationary printing bed mounted in said frame and including upper and lower portions, means on the meeting surfaces of said portions whereby the printing bed is raised or lowered incident to movement of the upper portion in the direction of the length of the machine and manually operable means for imparting movement to one of said portions.

10. In a printing press, a frame, a normally stationary printing bed mounted in said frame and including upper and lower portions, means on the meeting surfaces of said portions whereby the printing bed is raised or lowered incident to movement of the upper portion in the direction of the length of the machine, and a manipulative member for moving the upper portion of the printing bed.

11. A printing press as claimed in claim 9 characterized in that the meeting surfaces of the portions of the printing bed are in the form of stepped ribs having inclined surfaces thereon.

HARRY GEORGE ROGERS. 

